I'm writing this from the point of view of someone who has had a great deal to do with guns. I've taught gun safety and marksmanship, run competitive pistol and rifle matches, I hunt and I carry a concealed weapon (with the kind permission of my state govt.) I've been able to do all this beacuse thirteen years ago I was able to keep two men from pushing their way into my home in the middle of the night. My life, and that of my wife was likely saved because I had a gun, and the two men were convinced that I would use it on them.

The gun debate will always be difficult because there is so much emotion involved. Both on the pro side who tend to get upset (rightfully in my view) of others who think that their property should be taken away. And the other side who operate so much on emotion that they think songs are the best political arguments they can make.

The founders (who were truly not perfect, see slavery as an example) were students of history and saw how from the times of the Romans that goverments preserved their power by having strength of arms over the people.

The US has many troubles As a society we drink and drug ourselves into stupors, we go off to work and leave our children to grow up on their own, we sit in our livingrooms and theatres and soak ourselves in violence and filth, and we have immigration problems that nearly no other industrialized nation has.

There has been no real change in pistol or rifle design since the turn of the century. Despite what the media would have you think there have been high capacity semi-auto pistols since the '30s. Guns are more restricted now than they ever have been. Up untill 1968 you could get guns by mail. Now we have 20,000 city, state and federal regulations. We have had a Brady Law for nearly a decade, and nearly none of the people who break it are prosecuted, leaving them to find guns in other ways. In fact federal firearms prosecutions have been nearly non-existant during this presidents term, the same president who now demands more laws.

There are no easy answers, but infringing rights, and passing laws won't change the underlying problems. Untill the people of America come to terms with our birthright and take resonsibility for our lives. Unless we realise that freedom is a actuall living, tangible thing. Freedom means political speech, not getting to say "ass" on TV. Freedom is choosing to worship in the way you choose, not preventing others from doing it. And yes, freedom means the right to defend yourself, and the ability to own the means.